In a surprising development, Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket on 18 December, following India’s drawn Test match against Australia at the Gabba during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The cricket community reacted with mixed emotions, raising concerns about the timing, as his expertise will be missed in the remaining two matches.
The year 2024 has seen the retirement of several prominent cricketers, including David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, Dinesh Karthik, James Anderson, and Tim Southee, each making significant decisions about their careers.
1. Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin concluded his Test career with 537 wickets in 106 matches, maintaining an average of 24.00. He ranks seventh on the all-time list and second among Indian bowlers, behind Anil Kumble’s 619 wickets. His international career also included 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is.
2. James Anderson
At Lord’s, England organised a farewell Test for James Anderson against the West Indies. The occasion was marked by his family ringing the ceremonial bell before his final match. Anderson retired from international cricket on 12 July 2024, with 704 Test wickets.
3. Dinesh Karthik
On 1 June, Dinesh Karthik announced his retirement from all formats of cricket, including the IPL, through social media on his 39th birthday after careful consideration. Karthik batted in 169 innings for India, scoring 3,463 runs during a career that spanned two decades.
4. David Warner
David Warner initiated 2024’s retirement announcements, concluding his career in Sydney against Pakistan on 6 January 2024. He is recognised as one of cricket’s finest all-format players.
Warner ended his international career in stages, playing his last ODI during Australia’s triumphant 2023 campaign in India, his final Test against Pakistan in early 2024, and he was set to finish altogether after the 2024 T20 World Cup. Across 474 innings for Australia, he scored 18,995 runs.
5. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan declared his retirement from domestic and international cricket on 24 August. His final appearance for India was against Bangladesh in December 2022. Across 288 innings for India in all formats, he scored 10,867 runs.
6. Tim Southee
Tim Southee retired following New Zealand’s victory against England at Seddon Park, Hamilton. His farewell included a guard of honour and a ceremony attended by Sir Richard Hadlee. Southee’s 17-year career yielded 391 Test wickets, placing him second to Hadlee’s 431 wickets.
7. Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali concluded his international career after being excluded from England’s white-ball squad for the Australia series. His final match was against India in the T20 World Cup semi-final on 27 June in Guyana, at the age of 37. In 305 innings for England, he scored 6,678 runs and claimed 366 wickets.
